# I Like the Monkees better than the Beatles, and I don't care who knows it! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949 "2017-04-21T22:17:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/81 "2017-04-25T07:17:51Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > What is your vision of the thread? I’ll be accommodating but you have to say. No, I think everyone has understood the thread except you. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/82 "2017-04-25T10:24:19Z")
Quick! Someone get the rights to _Head_ to Joel Hodgson! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/83 "2017-04-25T15:12:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > A friend has urged me to watch [this film starring the Monkees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_%28film%29), which I gather has a cult following. I haven’t seen it yet, though - is there anyone here who has watched it and can comment? The movie proves two things: 1. You can’t script zaniness 2. It’s generally not a good idea to write a movie while totally stoned. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/84 "2017-04-25T15:17:45Z")
I thought the goal of _ **Head** _ was to deconstruct The Monkees, sort of their way of saying “That’s it, we’re done.” There’s even a line in the movie that subtly warns the viewer about the weirdness of it all: > [@](#): > > _For those who look for meanings > In form as they do fact > We might tell you one thing > But we’d only take it back_ ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/85 "2017-04-25T15:54:22Z")
So I ask (having seen neither): How does _Head_ compare with _Magical Mystery Tour_? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/86 "2017-04-25T17:13:36Z")
> [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](#): > > No, I think everyone has understood the thread except you. Enlighten me. Do you want to light one candle or curse the darkness? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/87 "2017-04-25T17:16:06Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > What would be an example, please? “Forget it Jayc, it’s Chinatown…” ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/88 "2017-04-25T17:35:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > So I ask (having seen neither): How does _Head_ compare with _Magical Mystery Tour_? How about: Monkees is to Beatles, as Monkees TV show is to Hard Days Night, as Head is to Magical Mystery Tour? IOW: I wanted to see it at least once. Liked the tunes. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/89 "2017-04-25T18:32:14Z")
All IMHO… Musically I liken the Monkees to be on par, even superior to, pre-Revolver Beatles. If it were a foot race, neck and neck at the midpoint of the race. The Monkees have an edge for depth of lyric and structure, where the Beatles were too trite and goofy for my taste (even when compared against the Monkees goofiness) in that era. Granted the Monkees had the advantage of hindsight to produce songs 3-4 years newer than the earlier Beatles so it wasn’t too tough to top ‘Help’ or ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, most other British invasion bands were also better than that by this point. Around Revolver though, the Beatles sprint away and own the race. I credit this mostly to George Martin however, for pushing the Beatles on the forefront of technical and arrangement production that the rest of the world’s music could only stand slack-jawed watching in envy. The Monkees tried, but never achieved those levels of production artistry–there’s no ‘Day in the Life’ or ‘Come Together’ caliber song in their catalog, their trippy attempts only mimic the status quo but don’t rewrite the rules. So: Monkees superior to early-Beatles, inferior to later-Beatles. Evidence: My post is my cite is my artifact, quid lorem pro ipswitch and all that. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/90 "2017-04-25T18:50:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Holy crap. I never realized how similar those songs were. It seems so friggin obvious now, but somehow, I never came across this comparison before. TBH, I’d never noticed it either, until seeing it mentioned in the liner notes of a Monkees compilation disc I bought a few years back. And then…sonuvabitch, it’s hard to miss. The liner notes also mentioned that the Monkees’ theme song (hey hey, we’re the Monkees), also by Boyce and Hart, was more or less a reworking of another song. Not having the liner notes handy, the verdict of [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%28Theme_From%29_The_Monkees) is that it was the Dave Clark Five’s “Catch Us If You Can,” which sounds right. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/91 "2017-04-26T19:55:42Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I’ll just leave this here - > > Take the last train to Clarksville and I’ll meet you at the station… > > You hear it don’t you. Gonna be a long weekend. 😃 I lived in Clarksville for a time! Any who. I learned all the words to Beatles from The Chipmunks! I never really cared for the Monkees. I loved the show growing up, but I’ve seen a few shows since they’ve been rerunning on one of the broadcast shows…kind of dumb shows but the music is still great! How does Davy dance like that?? :dubious::dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/92 "2017-04-27T06:15:19Z")
People like what they like, and then later on they might feel different. Some joyous Beatle songs: Here Comes the Sun I’ve Just Seen a Face Ob-La-Di All You Need is Love And Your Bird Can Sing She Loves You Penny Lane The End Here Comes the Sun King Magical Mystery Tour I Feel Fine I Should Have Known Better It Won’t Be Long It’s All Too Much Flying Back in the USSR Got to Get You Into My Life ---
**Author:** ![CatandMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@CatandMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatandMouse)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/93 "2017-04-27T06:52:02Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Plus EVERYONE knows the Bay City Rollers were WAY more real than the stupid Monkees and their fake songs. > > And the Beatles? Well, they took LSD and became great. > > 🙂 I had Bay City Roller suspenders in the 7th grade. Lol ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/94 "2017-04-27T12:44:21Z")
> [@CatandMouse](#): > > I had Bay City Roller suspenders in the 7th grade. Lol My high school friend called them the Gay Shitty Blowers. Yes, I know that’s un-PC now. But it gave us the giggles back then. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/95 "2017-04-27T14:04:25Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#): > > How does Davy dance like that?? :dubious::dubious: And where did he learn to dance in [black and white](https://youtu.be/6PNfnNBDatY)? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/96 "2017-04-27T14:34:10Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > People like what they like, and then later on they might feel different. > > Some joyous Beatle songs: > Here Comes the Sun > I’ve Just Seen a Face > Ob-La-Di > All You Need is Love > And Your Bird Can Sing > She Loves You > Penny Lane > The End > Here Comes the Sun King > Magical Mystery Tour > I Feel Fine > I Should Have Known Better > It Won’t Be Long > It’s All Too Much > Flying > Back in the USSR > Got to Get You Into My Life Octopus’s Garden, Yellow Submarine, Birthday, Good Day Sunshine, etc. The idea that the Beatles didn’t write “joyous” songs is, frankly, puzzling to me. Their music had the full range of emotions. I would even put stuff like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” up there, despite the kind of mysterious psychedelic verses. You should see my little 3-year-old dance to it! One of her most requested songs. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/97 "2017-04-27T14:50:54Z")
The Beatles wrote good songs. I remember as a teenager I couldn’t wait for their next album. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/98 "2017-04-27T21:50:31Z")
Weren’t the Monkees a kind of media creation? I thought I read that, while they were musicians, the “wrecking crew” studio session players were used. For example, that’s Glen Campbell playing the lead guitar hook and riff on “I’m a believer”. Hal Blaine on drums, etc. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/99 "2017-04-28T17:37:02Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Weren’t the Monkees a kind of media creation? I thought I read that, while they were musicians, the “wrecking crew” studio session players were used. For example, that’s Glen Campbell playing the lead guitar hook and riff on “I’m a believer”. Hal Blaine on drums, etc. I’ve always had a soft spot for underdogs, having rooted for the Orioles all my life, and I felt the Monkees were unfairly criticized for using studio musicians. EVERYONE used studio musicians then. The Monkees were musicians themselves and wanted to play their own music, but they weren’t in control. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949/100 "2017-04-28T18:57:10Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > I’ve always had a soft spot for underdogs, having rooted for the Orioles all my life, and I felt the Monkees were unfairly criticized for using studio musicians. EVERYONE used studio musicians then. **The Monkees were musicians themselves** and wanted to play their own music, but they weren’t in control. I love the Monkees, but the bolded part wasn’t really true. Mike and Peter were, but Mickey learned to play drums only after the show started, and poor Davey couldn’t even keep time with a tambourine. But, he was short and cute and accessible, and to teenage girls, that was all that mattered! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-the-monkees-better-than-the-beatles-and-i-dont-care-who-knows-it/784949.md?page=6)